Category: NASCAR Cup PR

Daytona 500 Event Info:
Date: Sunday, Feb. 18
Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
Series: NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Format: 200 Laps, Stages: 65-65-70
TV: FOX
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90)

Weekend Schedule:
Wednesday: 8:15 p.m., D500 Qualifying (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Thursday: 7 p.m., Duels (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Friday: 5:35 p.m. ET, Practice (FS1, MRN)
Saturday: 10:30 a.m. ET, Practice (FS1, MRN)
Saturday: 8:30 p.m. ET, Heat Races Begin (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Sunday: 2:30 p.m. ET, Daytona 500 (FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Pace Laps:

• The 2024 NASCAR season officially kicks off this week at ‘The World Center of Racing’ for the 66th running of ‘The Great American Race.’
• RFK enters the season as arguably the most-discussed team from 2023 with the best improvement of any organization in the garage.
• Keselowski and the No. 6 team saw the second-biggest improvement in NASCAR in terms of average finish (14.4), ranking eighth in the category in 2023.
• The team’s qualifying effort (14.5) ranked 12th in the Cup Series, also the second-best improvement in the sport.
• Buescher and the No. 17 team ranked second in the series in average finish (12.1) in 2023, the best improvement of any team.
• Buescher also ranked 11th in race speed (median lap rank), jumping six spots in that category.
• Jack Roush has 12 wins all-time at Daytona across NASCAR, including eight in the Cup Series.
• Coverage from Daytona kicks off Wednesday night with single-car qualifying to determine the front row for the Daytona 500. The Duels Thursday night will determine the remaining starting lineup for Sunday’s 500-mile race.

6 Team Info:
Crew Chief: Matt McCall
Partner: Castrol Edge

17 Team Info:
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Partner: Fastenal

60 Team Info:
Crew Chief: Derrick Finley
Partner: BuildSubmarines.com

RFK Historically in The Duels
Overall Wins: 3 (Matt Kenseth, 2012; Brad Keselowski, 2022; Chris Buescher, 2022)

• Prior to 2022, Matt Kenseth had Jack Roush’s lone win in the Duels as he went on to win the 2012 Great American Race.
• Both Buescher and Keselowski earned fourth-place finishes a season ago in the qualifying events.
• Two years ago, RFK went into Daytona and swept both duel races as Keselowski won the opening duel race, and Buescher followed up with a win in the second qualifying race.
• Keselowski historically has 15 starts in the Duels with the one win and six top-10s.
• Buescher will be making his ninth start in the Duels on Thursday. He’s finished top-10 in the Duels in six-straight outings and has finished inside the top-10 in all but one Duels race that he’s been in since 2016.

Keselowski at Daytona International Speedway
Starts: 29
Wins: 1 (2016)
Top-10s: 7
Poles: —

• Keselowski makes his 30th overall start at the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway this weekend, and 15th start in the Daytona 500. In 14 D500 starts, Keselowski has two top-10s and a best finish of third (2014).
• Most recently, Keselowski was caught up in a last-lap crash in the 2023 rendition of the ‘Great American Race,’ and went on to finish 22nd. Last summer, he pushed teammate Buescher to the win as RFK finished 1-2 in August.
• Overall, Keselowski has seven top-10s at DIS, four of which were inside the top five.
• Overall Keselowski has 11 starts inside the top-10 at Daytona with four starts in third. Last season he started 10th in the 500.
• In Xfinity Series action, Keselowski made 15 starts at Daytona with seven top-10s and a best finish of second (twice – 2012, 2014). He also made three Truck Series starts with a seventh-place run in 2005.

Buescher at Daytona International Speedway
Starts: 16
Wins: 1 (2023)
Top-10s: 7
Poles: —

• Buescher makes his 17th start at Daytona this weekend, and ninth in the ‘Great American Race.’
• In 16 starts he has seven top-10s and five top fives. He won the last race at Daytona as Keselowski pushed him to the win.
• His best Daytona 500 finish came four years ago when he finished third. Last season, Buescher ran fourth in the 500.
• Buescher has an 18.4 average qualifying effort, and started top-10 in three-straight races from 2022-23. He started ninth in last season’s 500.
• He also made three Xfinity Series starts at DIS with a best finish of second in the 2015 season-opening event.

Ragan at Daytona International Speedway
Starts: 30
Wins: 1 (2011)
Top-10s: 8
Poles: —

• Ragan makes his 31st overall start at DIS, and 17th in the Daytona 500. In 30 starts overall he has one win (2011 summer race) and eight top-10s.
• His best Daytona 500 finish came in 2020 when he ran fourth in the No. 36 car for Rick Ware Racing. Up until 2023, he competed in 16-straight Daytona 500s, including five for Jack Roush, all in the No. 6. In his last start in the 500, Ragan finished eighth in 2022.
• Overall he’s started in the 500 in six different car numbers – the No. 6 for RFR at the time, No. 34 for Front Row, No. 23 for BK Racing, No. 38 for Front Row, No. 36 for RWR, and No. 15 for RWR.
• Ragan also made 10 starts at Daytona in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, earning five top-10s in a span from 2007-16.

RFK Historically in the Daytona 500
Wins: 2 (Matt Kenseth, 2009 & 2012)

• NASCAR Hall of Famer Matt Kenseth was the first to drive a Jack Roush owned Ford into victory lane for the Daytona 500, earning the victory in 2009. He led just seven laps – the final seven – after starting from the 39th position en route to his first of two Daytona 500 victories over a span of four seasons.
• Jack Roush has won two poles in the Daytona 500, one coming from Greg Biffle in 2004 and the other in 2012 with Carl Edwards. Biffle earned the 2004 pole after a speed of 188.387 and went on to finish 12th. Edwards had a pole speed of 194.738 and finished eighth in the 2012 Daytona 500.

Michigan Native to Make Debut in Great American Race

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (February 12, 2024) – Zeigler Auto Group and Gainbridge, a Group 1001 company, will serve as co-primary sponsors aboard Carson Hocevar’s No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in Sunday’s 66th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.

The unique collaboration pairs Zeigler Auto Group with Gainbridge at the Great American Race, providing both partners the opportunity to showcase their brands at the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) annual season opener.

Hocevar, who will compete for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors in 2024, signed a multi-year agreement with Spire Motorsports in October to drive the team’s No. 77 entry and will make his first Daytona 500 start.

“It’s a dream come true to have Zeigler Auto Group and Gainbridge on board our No. 77 Chevrolet,” said Hocevar. “Both organizations have shown so much faith in me and that really gives me an added boost of confidence. I’m definitely ready to get the season going. It’s surreal to be able to go to the Daytona 500 with two incredible Midwest companies supporting me. I grew up driving past Zeigler stores near my hometown in Michigan so to be able to carry those colors at Daytona means more than I can really put into words.”

Zeigler Automotive Group is one of the largest privately-owned dealer groups in the U.S. with 84 franchises across 41 locations in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. Vehicle brands represented include all the domestic and majority of the imported manufacturers. The family-owned and -operated organization has been a regular on the NCS tour since 2019, previously partnering with Spire Motorsports and the No. 77 team for 15 races in 2022.

“Having Carson represent not only Zeigler, but the entire city of Kalamazoo and the state of Michigan, is a huge source of pride for me and our entire team,” said Aaron J. Zeigler, president and CEO of Zeigler Auto Group and Zeigler Racing. “We know he will make us proud on and off the track.”

Gainbridge, a Group 1001 Company, offers an online digital platform, offering trusted financial products simplified for the modern age. The Indianapolis-headquartered organization carries a vast presence across multiple disciplines of motorsports and promotes its suite of services as a multi-year presenting sponsor of the Indianapolis 500, and a founding partner of the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix.

In addition to Hocevar’s effort, Gainbridge will serve as the primary sponsor on Nick Sanchez’s No. 2 Chevrolet Silverado in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.

“The Daytona 500 is one of the most iconic races in the world and Gainbridge is thrilled to support Carson Hocevar as he makes his debut in the Great American Race,” said Mike Nichols, Chief of Sponsorship Strategy & Activation at Group 1001. “It’s been a very busy off-season, and we can’t wait for the 2024 NASCAR season to take the green flag. We’re looking forward to seeing Carson mix it up on the high banks at Daytona and put himself in position to have a great day.”

The 66th running of the Daytona 500 will be televised live on FOX, Sunday February 18 beginning at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The first of 36 races on the 2024 NCS schedule will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
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About Gainbridge …
Gainbridge Insurance Agency, LLC (“Gainbridge”), a Group 1001 company, is an insurtech which strives to offer products that are simple, intuitive, and backed by smart technology with no complexity or hidden fees. Gainbridge empowers consumers to take control of their financial future with solutions that are accessible to everyone no matter their budget or financial knowledge. Gainbridge’s digital-first distribution model underpins its mission to reach all communities, including those that have been historically underserved by the national financial system.

About Group 1001 …
Group 1001 is a collective that empowers companies to create positive growth. Our insurance and annuities are easy to understand and accessible to all. Our online investing platform gives individuals control over their savings. Our technology and innovation help companies succeed. And our strategic partnerships bring people together through education and sports.

As of September 30, 2023, Group 1001 had combined assets under management of $59.8 billion. It comprises the following brands: Delaware Life, Gainbridge®, Clear Spring Health, Clear Spring Property and Casualty Group, Clear Spring Life and Annuity Company, and RVI Group.

About Zeigler Auto Group …
Zeigler Automotive Group is one of the largest privately-owned dealer groups in the U.S. with 84 franchises across 41 locations in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. Vehicle brands represented include all of the domestic and the majority of the imported manufacturers.

Besides its extensive automotive portfolio, the organization owns and operates Zeigler Motorsports, an 85,000-square-foot motorsports dealership and action park, offering 19 different powersports brands, plus its own onsite restaurant: Trak Houz Bar & Grill. Additionally, Zeigler Motorsports houses the Elevate Leadership & Team Building Academy, an executive training company.

The Kalamazoo-based dealer group also owns and operates Zeigler Pre-Owned of Chicago, three Byrider franchises, three finance companies, several insurance firms, and a leasing firm.

Founded in 1975, the organization employs over 2,500 people, ranking among the top 1% of automotive dealers in the nation with estimated annual sales of $2.2 billion for 2023.

The family-owned and operated company is well known for its commitment to both customer service and employee satisfaction. Zeigler is regularly recognized as one of the Best and Brightest Companies to Work for in the Nation, also earning similar accolades in Wisconsin, Chicago, and Michigan. Besides these prestigious accolades, Zeigler is also one of Glassdoor’s 100 Best Places to Work in the U.S. for 2024, and among Glassdoor’s top 10 U.S. companies for work-life balance.

For more information, please visit zeiglerracing.com or follow us on @zeigler_racing on Facebook, X, Instagram, and Linkedin.

About Spire Motorsports …
Spire Motorsports is a NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race team co-owned by long-time NASCAR industry executives Jeff Dickerson and Thaddeus “T.J.” Puchyr. In 2024, Spire Motorsports will campaign the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s in the NASCAR Cup Series with drivers Corey LaJoie, Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar, respectively. The team will also field the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Silverados full time in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. An all-star driver lineup will rotate throughout the 2024 season in the No. 7 Chevy. Rajah Caruth will drive the No. 71 entry and Chase Purdy rounds out the team’s fleet of Chevrolets in the No. 77.

Spire Motorsports earned its inaugural NASCAR Cup Series victory in its first full season of competition when Justin Haley took the checkered flag in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 7, 2019. Less than three years later, William Byron drove Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado to its inaugural NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win on April 7, 2022, at Martinsville Speedway. The team’s most recent win came on May 20, 2023, when Kyle Larson took the checkered flag in the Tyson 250 at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

JOSH BERRY
Daytona Speedweek
Pole Qualifying | Duel | Daytona 500
No. 4 SUNNYD® Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

Event Overview

Wednesday, Feb. 14:
● Daytona 500 qualifying (single-lap qualifying to determine pole for the Daytona 500)

●  Time/TV/Radio: 8 p.m. ET on FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Thursday, Feb. 15:
● Bluegreen Vacations Duel (twin 150-mile qualifying races that set the field for the Daytona 500)

●  Time/TV/Radio: 7 p.m. ET on FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio  

Sunday, Feb. 18:
● 66th annual Daytona 500 (first of 36 points-paying NASCAR Cup Series races in 2024)

●  Time/TV/Radio: 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● The Daytona 500 is where NASCAR careers are born and, for Josh Berry, Sunday’s 66th running of the Great American Race will mark his first official points-paying Cup Series outing at the 2.5-mile superspeedway. The 33-year-old driver will strap into the No. 4 SUNNYD Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) for the first time in the Cup Series at “The World Center of Racing” Wednesday to lay down a qualifying lap in a session that will determine the pole position and outside-front-row starting for the Daytona 500. Thursday, the Cup Series field will compete in the Bluegreen Vacations Duel twin 150-mile qualifying races to determine the remaining starting positions for Sunday’s 500-mile event.

● Daytona (Fla.) Interational Speedway holds a special place in Berry’s heart. It’s where Berry got interested in the sport of racing. He says the 1997 Daytona 500 is his earliest memory of watching a NASCAR race. That’s when, as a 6-year-old, he saw Jeff Gordon take the checkered flag, and that’s when he knew he wanted to be a part of Cup Series racing. Fast forward 27 years, and Berry will fulfil his childhood dream when he tightens his belts in the No. 4 SUNNYD Ford Mustang in the sport’s most prestiegous event.

● While the Daytona 500 marks Berry’s first official points-paying Cup Series start as a fulltime driver for 2024, his most recent Cup Series appearance and 10th of 2023 came in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona last August. He qualified 29th and finished 22nd in the No. 42 Legacy Motorsports Club entry. The Cup Series rookie will looking to build on that experience this week during the Duel and the two practice sessions that follow on Friday and Saturday prior to taking the green flag on Sunday. Berry has turned laps on superspeedways in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with JR Motorsports and has a career-best fifth-place finish at Talladega (Ala.) Superspedway in October 2022. He started that race seventh.

● Crew chief Rodney Childers will call the shots for Berry in Sunday’s Daytona 500, marking his 37th start at the track. In his previous 36 Daytona starts atop the pit box, he has one pole award (2020), eight top-five results and 12 top-10s. Most recently, Childers and now-retired SHR veteran Kevin Harvick took the checkered flag ninth after starting 10th there in the August 2023 race.

● Another notable addition to the No. 4 Ford team this season is spotter Eddie D’Hondt. Berry’s eyes in the sky spent the last 12 years and 468 races at Hendrick Motorsports, most recently spotting for driver Chase Elliott. The addition of D’Hondt will provide Berry with a familiar voice as the two worked together on Hendrick’s No. 9 team in 2023 when Elliot missed five races with an injury. During that stint, Berry captured a runner-up finish at Richmond (Va.) Raceway, proving the driver-spotter combination’s potential for success in 2024.

● SUNNYD has partnered with Berry and the No. 4 team ahead of the 2024 season, donning the vibrant orange and blue SUNNYD colors during this weekend’s season-opening Daytona 500. SUNNYD will continue to support the No. 4 team throughout the 38-week season as an associate partner featured on Berry’s firesuit, and the team’s hauler and toolboxes.

Josh Berry, Driver of the No. 4 SUNNYD Ford Mustang

You are about to strap into the No. 4 SUNNYD Ford Mustang for your first Daytona 500. What’s going through your mind as you approach the crown jewel race to kick off the 2024 season?

“I think it’s obviously really exciting to get the chance to prepare to compete in the Daytona 500. In my eyes, it’s the biggest race we run, so to get to be a part of it is really cool. I think I will have so many emotions there and I am not really sure exactly what to expect, but I know it will be fun and I’m really looking forward to getting in the car this weekend.”

Eddie D’Hondt joined the No. 4 team this offseason. What is it like to work with a veteran spotter like D’Hondt, and how important is it that your communication is clear at a track like Daytona International Speedway?

“Eddie D’Hondt has been a big addition to the No. 4 team this year, and to have his knowledge and experience up on the spotter stand is going to be really helpful for me. The relationship of the driver and spotter at the speedway races is so important, so to have a chance to work together at the Duels, and talk between then and Sunday, will have us in a good spot come the green flag.”

What do you think is the biggest learning curve you will face in Sunday’s race?

“The biggest thing for me to learn is just how the NextGen cars are at speedways. I have a little bit of experience in the new car, but to continue to build on my notebook of experience is going to be the biggest hurdle for me. Obviously, working with the No. 4 team and Eddie will be important and we can do that Thursday and Friday. I think the other thing is just learning how to survive the speedway race and be there at the end when it counts.”

You have cited the 1997 Daytona 500 as one of the earliest NASCAR races you can remember. What makes that one stand out for you?

“When you have a chance to reflect on your early days as a kid watching the sport and growing up at a racetrack, there are times that you can pick out and remember and, for me, the 1997 Daytona 500 is just one of those races. I felt like that was one I remember all the parts and events of – I am sure I watched others before it – but in my memory, that is the one that stands out, and to be able to compete at the 500 makes this weekend more significant for me.”

You’ve raced as teammates with Noah Gragson in the Xfinity Series, but you have two new teammates in Chase Briscoe and Ryan Preece. What challenges and advantages does this provide?

“It will take some time for us to work around each other on-track and build that chemistry and trust but, with the NextGen, it’s really important to work together with your teammates early in the race and when you make your pit cycles. We have spent a lot of time around each other during the offseason and I feel like we have all built a good relationship with each other and we can carry that over into the Daytona 500.”

What does your strategy look like for Daytona 500 week? Is it something that evolves for you and Rodney (Childers, crew chief) as the week unfolds?

“I think that depends on where you qualify and how your Duel race goes. I think that it can be a bit of a moving target, it depends on how your week is going. We want to qualify well and race up front and get that experience on Thursday, and I think that will help me for Sunday. I think on Sunday we just have to make it to the end. You need to spend some time racing up front and see how your car is handling, but it is a bit of risk versus reward and we just have to be smart to be there at the end.”

No. 4 SUNNYD Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Josh Berry

Hometown: Hendersonville, Tennessee

Crew Chief: Rodney Childers

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Car Chief: Robert “Cheddar” Smith

Hometown: Whitewater, Wisconsin

Engineer: Dax Gerringer

Hometown: Gibsonville, North Carolina

Engineer: Josh Wright

Hometown: Commerce, Missouri

Spotter: Eddie D’Hondt

Hometown: Levittown, New York

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Daniel Coffey

Hometown: Granite Falls, North Carolina

Rear Tire Changer: Daniel Smith

Hometown: Concord, North Carolina

Tire Carrier: Jeremy Howard

Hometown: Delhart, Texas

Jack Man: Brandon Banks

Hometown: High Point, North Carolina

Fuel Man: Evan Marchal

Hometown: Westfield, Indiana

Road Crew Members

Mechanic: Tyler Trosper

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Mechanic: Chris Capaldi

Hometown: Armada, Michigan

Tire Specialist: Zac Lupien

Hometown: Pine Bluff, Arkansas

Engine Tuner: Robert Brandt

Hometown: Mobile, Alabama

Transporter Co-Driver: Jake Zierhoffer

Hometown: Billerica, Massachusetts

Transporter Co-Driver: Stephen Mitchell

Hometown: Woodville, Ohio

ANTHONY ALFREDO
Daytona Speedweek
Pole Qualifying | Duel | Daytona 500
No. 62 Death Wish Coffee Chevrolet Camaro

Event Overview

Wednesday, Feb. 14: Daytona 500 qualifying (single-lap qualifying to determine pole for the Daytona 500)
● Time/TV/Radio: 8 p.m. ET on FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Thursday, Feb. 15: Bluegreen Vacations Duel (twin 150-mile qualifying races that set the field for the Daytona 500)
● Time/TV/Radio: 7 p.m. ET on FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Sunday, Feb. 18: 65th annual Daytona 500 (first of 36 points-paying NASCAR Cup Series races in 2023)
● Time/TV/Radio: 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Beard Motorsports will take to the track this week at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in the hopes of making the starting field for the 66th running of the Daytona 500. When the No. 62 Chevrolet Camaro takes to the 2.5-mile superspeedway oval for qualifying Wednesday night, it will kick off the team’s eighth year of competing in select events that make up the NASCAR Cup Series schedule, dating back to its inaugural season in 2017.

● A new face will sit behind the wheel of the No. 62 Beard-family owned Chevrolet in driver Anthony Alfredo. A native of Ridgefield, Connecticut, Alfredo brings a fresh perspective to competing – something that has served him well in his young career. A NASCAR Next alumnus, Alfredo has experienced a meteoric rise through the NASCAR ranks that launched in 2019, when he made his first start in the Craftsman Truck Series. His performance in limited Truck Series action that season earned him a partial Xfinity Series schedule in 2020, followed by a full season of Cup Series racing in 2021.

● A buzz surrounds the No. 62 Beard Motorsports team at Daytona – a caffeinated one to be exact – as Death Wish Coffee partners with Alfredo and company as they attempt to compete in the season-opening Daytona 500. Founded in 2012 in Saratoga Springs, New York, Death Wish Coffee is made up of caffeinated creatives, challengers, brewers and doers. Born in a basement with the dream of delivering stronger and bolder coffee to its customers, a little more than a decade later, its products are now in more than 24,000 stores nationwide.

● While Alfredo is still in the dawn of his racing career, he enters Speedweek at Daytona with practical experience behind the wheel of a NASCAR Cup Series car. Racing with the moniker of “Fast Pasta,” Alfredo competed as a series regular in 2021 with the No. 38 entry. During the 2021 edition of the Daytona 500, Alfredo was caught up in a multicar accident on lap 14 and unable to finish the race. He competed in the subsequent superspeedway races at Daytona and Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway later that season, scoring a 10th-place finish during the fall race at Talladega for his first career top-10 result in the series.

● Redemption fuels Beard Motorsports as it prepares for the 2024 Daytona 500. The No. 62 Beard entry was poised to advance to the starting field for the 2023 Daytona 500 when it was caught up in a multicar accident during the closing laps of its Duel qualifying race.

● The Feb. 18th Daytona 500 is the first of four events at which Beard Motorsports is scheduled to appear in 2024. Plans are for the No. 62 Chevrolet to compete in subsequent races at Daytona on Aug. 24, along with the April 21 and Oct. 6 races at Talladega.

● As they have since the very beginning, ECR Engines will power the No. 62 Deathwish Coffee in its endeavors this season. The partnership with ECR has served the Beard-owned Chevrolet Camaros well through the years and has played an integral role in the No. 62 Chevrolet being a staple at the superspeedway races. Beard Motorsports is accustomed to racing at the front, proven by its recent performances that include a top-five finish in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona in August 2022 with former driver Noah Gragson. Prior to 2022, Beard boasted a pair of top-10 finishes during the 2020 season at the hands of former driver Brendan Gaughan. With Gaughan behind the wheel, the Beard team finished seventh in the Daytona 500 that February and eighth in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 in August.

● Founded by the late Mark Beard Sr., Beard Motorsports is owned and operated by his wife Linda Beard with significant support from daughter Amie and son Mark Jr., as well as crew chief Darren Shaw. The Beard women are integral to the Beard brand in both racing and business. The family owned company, Beard Oil Distributing, is a certified, woman-owned entity, placing it and Beard Motorsports in rarified company.

Anthony Alfredo, Driver of the No. 62 Death Wish Coffee Chevrolet Camaro

You are heading back to Daytona to start the NASCAR season with the Daytona 500, and this year you are getting a second chance at The Great American Race. What has it been like getting ready for this week?

“Talk about a gift. Any opportunity to race in the NASCAR Cup Series – especially the biggest race of the year – is an incredible blessing. To have the chance to go race in the Daytona 500 is huge. It’s one I have always wanted another shot at since 2021, when we got caught up in that early big one. To do this with Beard Motorsports is really cool. I’m so thrilled about this opportunity and very thankful to the Beard family. I have always watched them at all of the superspeedway races and have respected what they do. They bring really competitive cars to the track. To know that I not only have a shot to go race in the Daytona 500, but to actually have a chance to run up front and compete for the win, is something that I’m really pumped about. I want to go down there and be competitive and I know I can do that with them. Their crew chief, Darren Shaw, has assembled a really good group of people. I don’t take this chance for granted and can’t wait to get to work.”

You were part of the starting field for the 2021 Daytona 500. How has that prepared you for the upcoming week?

“Every race in 2021 was just kind of out of the ordinary because of the COVID restrictions – especially the Daytona 500. It’s the biggest race of the year but fan attendance was limited. Some of the media opportunities and typical race-day events and activities were out of the norm. So I didn’t get that true Daytona 500 experience, if that makes sense. This year, I am excited to experience all of it – the camaraderie, drivers meetings, being able to do things with our partners, team activities – it’s just going to be different.”

What are the nerves like, knowing you will have to either qualify on time on Wednesday night or race your way in during the Duals on Thursday night?

“It will definitely be a little more intense this time around for me. I was fortunate enough to go to Daytona in 2021 in a charter car. There will be cars going home this year – there are 40 starting positions and 36 of those are for chartered cars. I believe there are six cars trying to make the race as an open entry, so only four will make the show. You don’t want to be one of the few loading up early. We are trying to stay until Sunday. I feel like we have a great chance of qualifying on time on Wednesday night with an ECR engine under the hood of our Camaro, and obviously for the Duels. Even if we find ourselves in the position of having to race in on Thursday night, I am confident we can do so. From there, it will be about making it to the checkered flag on Sunday.”

You have been competing in events making up the schedules of NASCAR’s top three touring series since 2020. So you are still somewhat new to this, and some people may not know the pretty interesting path you took to reach this level.

“I actually took a fairly non-traditional route into racing. I was a fan first and started competing in go-karts when I was younger – racing at one of those indoor tracks where you are just paying a fee to drive one of their karts. Then I didn’t race for a lot of years because I did the stick and ball sports. The desire to race was there and, in 2014, I decided to give it a go again, started racing Legends cars, raced some Late Model, and really got my big break in 2017 when I was picked to race for Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s team in the Late Model division of the CARS Tour, racing with guys like Josh Berry. Things just kept rolling because I got the chance to run some Truck Series races in 2019, and then made the jump to the Xfinity Series for some races in 2020. Things just kind of rolled because I was driving in the NASCAR Truck Series in 2019, then in the Xfinity Series in 2020, and then had the chance to run the full Cup Series season in 2021.”

What was it like making that jump to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2021 after making, basically, a handful of starts between the Truck Series and Xfinity Series?

“It was an opportunity that really just presented itself and was just too good to pass up, and was what was best for me and my sponsors. All of 2021 was really strange to be a rookie racing in the NASCAR Cup Series with no practice and no qualifying because of the COVID-19 restrictions. It definitely seemed like trial by fire at the time because it was such a huge step but, honestly, it made me so much better. Being one of 36 drivers in the world that raced fulltime at that level was an amazing opportunity and made me a much better racecar driver.”

Will you talk a little bit about this partnership with Beard Motorsports and the opportunity to race with them at Daytona, and even later in the season at Talladega?

“To be able to work with Beard Motorsports is really exciting to me because they have been a part of NASCAR for many years, now, and a lot of people pull from them at the superspeedway races. The Beard family does this as a way of carrying on Mark Beard Sr.’s legacy, and to be a part of that is very special to me because he was the one that really loved racing and they do it to honor him. Getting to know Amie and Linda Beard during these last couple of months has been really cool. They have great Chevrolet Camaros, and to be able to climb behind the wheel of one is an honor for me because they have worked with some talented drivers and provided them the chance to showcase that talent at the Cup level. To be able to do that in the Daytona 500 – our biggest race of the year – is huge. The Beards are very clear on their goals – we are going down to Daytona to have fun, but we have a job to do. We want to qualify into the Daytona 500 and race for the win. I’m very thankful for their family, our partners, and Beard Oil, their family business.”

No. 62 Beard Motorsports Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Anthony Alfredo

Hometown: Ridgefield, Connecticut

Crew Chief: Darren Shaw

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Car Chief: Travis Owens

Hometown: Nashville

Spotter: Ron Lewis

Hometown: Cleveland, Texas

President: Linda Beard

Hometown: Mt. Pleasant, Michigan

VP of Racing Ops: Brendan Gaughan

Hometown: Las Vegas

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Tim Sheets

Hometown: Carmel, Indiana

Rear Tire Changer: David Mayo

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Tire Carrier: Damien Wermes

Hometown: Huntersville, North Carolina

Jack Man: DeAndre Smith

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Fuel Man: Bobby Grant

Hometown: Jacksonville, Florida

Road Crew Members

Mechanic: Jack Gagnon

Hometown: Quebec, Canada

Mechanic: Mark Sanders

Hometown: Springfield, Ohio

Interior Specialist: Nic Hill

Hometown: Fort Myers, Florida

Tire Technician: Mike Harrold

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Engine Tuner: Jason Watkins

Hometown: Ridgeway, Virginia

Transporter Driver: Roger Lankford

Hometown: Mills Creek, North Carolina

Martin Truex Jr.
Daytona 500 Advance
No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry TRD for Joe Gibbs Racing

Event Overview

Wednesday, Feb. 14: Daytona 500 qualifying (single-lap qualifying to determine pole for the Daytona 500)
● Time/TV/Radio: 8 p.m. ET on FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Thursday, Feb. 15: Bluegreen Vacations Duel (twin 150-mile qualifying races that set the field for the Daytona 500)
● Time/TV/Radio: 7 p.m. ET on FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Sunday, Feb. 18: 66th annual Daytona 500 (first of 36 points-paying NASCAR Cup Series races in 2024)
● Time/TV/Radio: 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Truex and the No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry team for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) kicked off the unofficial season by finishing ninth in the 150-lap feature in the non-points Clash at the Coliseum on Feb. 3 in Los Angeles.

● Truex will be making his 20th career start in The Great American Race. His first Daytona 500 came on Feb. 20, 2005. He started 10th in that race and finished 34th after engine issues sidelined him with just 22 laps remaining.

● While Truex has been ever so close to victory on multiple occasions, the Bass Pro Shops driver is still looking for his first Daytona 500 win. In the 2016 Daytona 500, Truex was involved in the closest finish in the history of the race when he battled JGR teammate Denny Hamlin to the checkered flag, narrowly missing out on the victory by a scant .01 of a second. It was one of the most memorable photo finishes in the race’s 65-year history.

● To earn a spot in this year’s Daytona 500, drivers must first compete in the Bluegreen Vacations Duel – twin 150-mile qualifying races that set the 40-car field for the Daytona 500. In all, Truex has three top-five finishes and 11 top-10s in 19 career Duel starts.

● Before drivers compete in the Duel, they race the clock in single-lap qualifying. The two fastest cars are locked into the field while the rest of the drivers are split into the Duel. Qualifiers in odd-numbered positions are in the first Duel and qualifiers in even-numbered positions are in the second Duel. Truex has one Daytona 500 pole to his credit, coming in 2009 for Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing.

● The 2024 season marks Truex’s 20th in the NASCAR Cup Series. Of his 657 career, points-paying starts, 37 of them have come on Daytona’s 2.5-mile oval. In addition to the aforementioned runner-up finish in 2016, Truex has another runner-up finish at Daytona coming in July 2009. He has three top-five finishes and six top-10s on the Daytona oval. The 66th Daytona 500 will be his 38th points-paying start on the Daytona oval.

● Outside of the NASCAR Cup Series, Truex has made seven career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Daytona. Of Truex’s 13 career Xfinity Series wins, only one is at Daytona – coming in July 2005. Truex is a two-time Xfinity Series champion (2004 and 2005) to go with his 2017 Cup Series championship.

Martin Truex Jr., Driver of the No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry TRD

How important is it to win the Daytona 500 before your career is done?

“I want to win the Daytona 500, it would be great, obviously. Daytona has been a tough one for us. We’ve been second there before and though we had it won back in 2016, we just got beat out by a few inches by Denny (Hamlin). I don’t know if I’d be completely disappointed with my career as a whole if, someday when I retire, I look back and I’m like, ‘Ah, I didn’t win that race.’ I don’t know if that is a big deal to me or not. I still have opportunities to get it done, so I try not to think about it. But it’d be huge to win, that’s for sure, to be able to get our Bass Pro Shops Camry XSE in victory lane and covered in confetti.”

What would the feeling be like to finally win the Daytona 500?

“It’s hard to understand what it really feels like to win the Daytona 500. You go back and watch guys who have won that race for the first time, whether they’ve won a lot and won championships or won it early on in their career, you just see the excitement and how much it means. I don’t think it’s something you can understand until you can make it happen yourself and experience a win there yourself.”

What is the atmosphere like before the Daytona 500. What makes Daytona so special?

“It’s just the center of our racing world, the biggest race of the year for us, and it’s always the first points race of the season. It’s the complete opposite of most sports in that regard. It’s always fun to go down there and it’s like the first day of school but the biggest event of the year for us. It’s a lot of fun, a lot of pressure, and a lot going on. It’s a great way for us to kick off the year.”

What makes the Duel qualifying races at Daytona so nerve-wracking for you guys?

“The Duel is kind of a nervous time for the drivers, and the crew chiefs, especially. You want to get through that race and you really want to be able to race that car in the Daytona 500. You also want to finish close to the front so you can get a good starting spot. You want to manage the race and be careful how hard you want to push it and make sure you don’t put yourself in a spot so you don’t end up wrecked and have to go to a backup car for the 500.”

The Daytona 500 is NASCAR’s biggest race of the year. Was there a Daytona 500 you watched when you were younger, before you were a competitor, that sticks out in your mind?

“When Dale Earnhardt finally won the Daytona 500 in 1998 was one I remember the most. I was a fan of his growing up, so I watched a lot of those heartbreaking finishes prior to that where he led and something would happen, have a flat tire, hit a seagull, whatever would happen. To be able to see him finally win, and how many of his peers on pit road came out to congratulate him because everyone knew how much that race meant to him, to his career, and to the sport.”

There will be drivers not locked into the Daytona 500 who have to race their way in during the Duel. Do you remember having to do the same thing your first few years in the sport?

“It was 2005 and I was still a fulltime Busch Series driver at the time. I just remember the stress of trying to make the race. I was not locked in on points and I had to race my way in during the Duel. I think I finished fourth in our Duel to make it, but it was a stressful day. The pressure was on myself and the team to make sure we had a good enough finish to get into the race. That was definitely my first experience of having nerves trying to make the biggest race of the year.”

After so much build-up, what’s it like heading out to the grid and getting ready to run in the Daytona 500?

“It’s like you exhale and finally say it’s time to do this, it’s no more talking so let’s get it done. You get into the car and everything gets back into focus and you know what you have to work on. The racing itself is just incredible. You never know what’s going to happen, especially when you get down to the end. Guys are all going for it and putting it all on the line and it’s always exciting for the fans.”

How would you describe the racing at Daytona?

“Daytona is a wide-open crapshoot. Everyone holds it wide open. You get down to the end of the race and we’ve seen the crashes over and over on the green-white-checkereds. Everyone just holds it wide open and, if they have any momentum at all, they just try to drive through the guy in front of them and it spins him out and crashes him. It’s really just a wild card, it’s kind of crazy. I wouldn’t say I’m not unconformable there, but it kind of stinks to get down to the end, if you make it that far, to just get crashed at the end.”

No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Martin Truex Jr.

Hometown: Mayetta, New Jersey

Crew Chief: James Small

Hometown: Melbourne, Australia

Car Chief: Chris Jones

Hometown: Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia

Race Engineer: Jaik Halpainy

Hometown: Blockville, New York

Engineer: Jeff Curtis

Hometown: Fairfax Station, Virginia

Spotter: Drew Herring

Hometown: Benson, North Carolina

Road Crew Members

Underneath Mechanic: Ryan Martin

Hometown: Mechanicsburg, Virgina

Mechanic: Todd Carmichael

Hometown: Redding, California

Interior/Tire Specialist: Tommy DiBlasi

Hometown: Annapolis, Maryland

Engine Tuner: Beau Morton

Hometown: Lake Havasu City, Arizona

Transporter Driver: Kyle Bazzell

Hometown: Fairbury, Illinois

Transporter Driver: Eddie DeGroot

Hometown: Baldwinsville, New York

Over-The-Wall Crew Members

Gas Man: Matt Tyrrell

Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Jackman: Caleb Dirks

Hometown: Riverside, California

Tire Carrier: CJ Bailey

Hometown: Outer Banks, North Carolina

Front Tire Changer: Lee Cunningham

Hometown: Leaf River, Illinois

Rear Tire Changer: Marquill Osborne

Hometown: Cornelius, NC

DAYTONA 500
Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024
2.5-Mile Oval
2:30 PM ET
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
TV: Fox
Event: NASCAR Cup Series race (1 of 36)
Radio: SiriusXM, PRN

5 KYLE LARSON
Age: 31 (July 31, 1992)
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Resides: Mooresville, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
Standings: 2nd (2023)

No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media in the drivers’ meeting room at the Daytona International Speedway media center on Wednesday, Feb. 14, from 2:10-2:40 p.m. local time.

2023 RECAP: During the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season, Kyle Larson and the No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM team visited victory lane four times in points-paying races (Richmond Raceway, Martinsville Speedway, Darlington Raceway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway), tied for the series lead (with Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron) with 15 top-five finishes and added 18 top-10s. He also won the non-points All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway in May and led a series-high 1,127 laps during the season en route to a runner-up finish in the point standings. Larson was named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers in its 75th season.

OH SO CLOSE: In 2017, Larson led the field with one lap to go in the DAYTONA 500. However, his Chevrolet ran out of fuel on the final lap and he coasted to a 12th-place finish. In 19 Cup Series starts at the 2.5-mile track, Larson has earned one pole position (2022) and five top-10 finishes.

WINNER AT DAYTONA: In July 2018, Larson won the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Daytona International Speedway. The Elk Grove, California, native led a race-high 40 laps en route to victory. Notably, the triumph was the 400th national series win for the Hendrick Motorsports engine shop, which supplied horsepower to Chip Ganassi Racing.

STARTING STRENGTH: Larson has started in the top 10 in each of the last 10 races on drafting-style tracks (Daytona, Talladega Superspeedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway) – the longest active streak in NASCAR’s premier series. In 2022, the driver of the No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet won the pole position for “The Great American Race.”

INDY IN THE DESERT: On Monday night, Larson tested an Arrow McLaren INDYCAR at Phoenix Raceway ahead of his attempt to run the Indianapolis 500 on May 26 in a Rick Hendrick-owned chassis. Larson’s entry is being fielded by Arrow McLaren in partnership with Hendrick Motorsports. Following the 500, the 2021 Cup Series champion will compete in the Coca-Cola 600. Larson won NASCAR’s longest race in 2021. Click here to see scenes from the Phoenix test.

HIGH LIMIT RACING: The 2024 High Limit Racing season begins Monday night, Feb. 12, at East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, Florida. Larson, the inaugural series champion in 2023, will compete for the 10-race Midweek Money Series championship in the No. 57 entry sponsored by HENDRICKCARS.COM. Secure your tickets for the season-opening “Battle at the Bay” here.

CLIFF’S NOTES: No. 5 crew chief Cliff Daniels and Larson have teamed up for 16 wins since Larson joined Hendrick Motorsports in 2021 – the third-best total among active driver and crew chief pairings. Daniels and Larson have accomplished those wins in 100 races while the best active combination has posted 19 victories in 173 starts.

YOUR CAR NEEDS: This weekend, Larson will drive the No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. From the convenience of home, HENDRICKCARS.COM customers can select the category, make, model and vehicle packages that are important to them from the nearly 30,000 new, high-quality pre-owned and certified cars, trucks and SUVs available at HENDRICKCARS.COM. The website also makes it easy for customers to find one of Hendrick Automotive Group’s 93 dealership locations nationwide.

WE’RE HIRING: Hendrick Automotive Group is hiring more than 300 technicians at its dealerships throughout the country. Positions are open for all skill levels and offer tuition and training reimbursement. Interested people can apply at HENDRICKCARS.COM.

9 CHASE ELLIOTT
Age: 28 (Nov. 28, 1995)
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Resides: Dawsonville, Georgia
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Standings: 17th (2023)

No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media in the drivers’ meeting room at the Daytona International Speedway media center on Wednesday, Feb. 14, from 2:10-2:40 p.m. local time.

TALKIN’ ABOUT DAYTONA: In 16 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Daytona International Speedway, Chase Elliott has earned three top-five finishes, five top-10s and three pole awards. He’s led 159 laps on the 2.5-mile superspeedway, including two laps last August en route to a fourth-place finish. Elliott earned a runner-up finish in the 2021 DAYTONA 500, his personal best in the season-opening event. The 28-year-old driver is also a two-time Duel at Daytona winner (2017, 2018) and won a points-paying race on Daytona’s road course layout in 2020. In addition, he recorded a win at the venue in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Hendrick Motorsports affiliate JR Motorsports in 2016.

DRAFTING DATA: Of Elliott’s 18 Cup Series points-paying victories, three have come on drafting-style tracks. The six-time National Motorsports Press Association’s Most Popular Driver Award winner has two victories at Talladega Superspeedway (2019, 2022) and one at the recently reprofiled and reconfigured Atlanta Motor Speedway (2022). Accompanying his three wins across 35 starts on drafting tracks, Elliott has tallied nine top-five finishes, 15 top-10s and 493 laps led.

HISTORY MAKING: In 2016, Elliott became the youngest driver to earn the DAYTONA 500 pole award at the age of 20 years, two months and 17 days. That record still stands today. He earned his second pole for the prestigious event the very next year.

HE’S COMING HOME: 2020 Cup Series champion crew chief Alan Gustafson will make his return home to the “World Center of Racing” for the DAYTONA 500 this week. Gustafson grew up in Ormond Beach, Florida, just down the road from the legendary superspeedway. After graduating from Seabreeze High School, Gustafson enrolled at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to study mechanical engineering. This year marks his 20th season as a Cup Series crew chief.

MOST POLES: Gustafson leads all active crew chiefs with four DAYTONA 500 pole awards. He’s tied with NASCAR Hall of Famers Leonard Wood and Waddell Wilson for the most DAYTONA 500 poles overall. Gustafson’s first DAYTONA 500 pole came with Mark Martin in 2010 and the veteran pit boss also won three straight from 2015-2017, with Jeff Gordon taking the top spot in 2015 and Elliott following suit the next two years.

DYNAMIC DUO: Elliott and Gustafson are entering their ninth season together, becoming the longest active driver and crew chief combo in the Cup Series garage. The duo is currently second among active pairings with 18 points-paying victories. Gustafson and Elliott earned their first Cup Series title in 2020 and the team captured the regular-season championship in 2022.

NEW YEAR, SAME FACES: In 2024, the No. 9 pit crew remains the same as it has since 2018. The 2021 Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew award-winning group is comprised of Chad Avrit (rear-tire changer), Jared Erspamer (tire carrier), John Gianninoto (fueler), Nick O’Dell (front-tire changer) and T.J. Semke (jackman).

NAPA RETURNS FOR 500: For the ninth consecutive year, NAPA Auto Parts will kick off the NASCAR Cup Series season on the hood of Elliott’s No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for the DAYTONA 500. NAPA’s new blue-based primary livery will debut on track this week. Elliott has never started “The Great American Race” without primary sponsorship from the Atlanta-based company. This marks the 11th season NAPA has partnered with Elliott in his NASCAR career.

WHEN NO. 9 WINS, YOU WIN: Fans can visit Hooters on Mondays after Cup Series races this season and ask their server for free fried pickles (with a drink purchase) when Elliott and the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports team finishes in the top 10. If the No. 9 team wins, customers receive 10 free wings with any 10-wing purchase. Learn more at hooters.com/racing.

24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 26 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: 3rd (2023)

No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media in the drivers’ meeting room at the Daytona International Speedway media center on Wednesday, Feb. 14, from 2:10-2:40 p.m. local time.

DAYTONA DUELS: William Byron will make his seventh start in the Duel at Daytona qualifying races on Thursday, Feb. 15. In last year’s qualifying race, Byron lined up on the outside row for his duel race but with split pit strategy taking place late in the event, the Charlotte, North Carolina, native finished 10th. However, in 2020, Byron captured his first win in a NASCAR Cup Series event when he started fourth in his qualifying race before going on to score the checkered flag.

TWENTY FOUR TO THE FRONT: In five of the last nine DAYTONA 500 races, the No. 24 has started from the front row – in 2015 with Jeff Gordon and in consecutive seasons, 2016 and 2017, with Chase Elliott all from the pole position. Byron most recently added to that stat by becoming the second-youngest DAYTONA 500 pole winner in 2019 (at 21 years, two months and 12 days), which also marked his first pole in the Cup Series. He wound up back on the front row for the 2021 DAYTONA 500.

BACK AT THE BEACH: During his time in the Cup Series, Byron has 12 starts at Daytona International Speedway. In that time, he has collected one win, two top-five finishes, three top-10s and led 95 laps. However, his stats don’t accurately depict Byron’s success at the 2.5-mile oval. Not only is this the venue where he collected his first pole award (2019 DAYTONA 500) and his first Cup Series win (2020 summer race), but he also won the Duel qualifying race in 2020. Additionally, Byron was in position to capture the win during the summer race in 2019 before inclement weather ended the event early, leaving him with a runner-up finish. Byron’s success at Daytona doesn’t end there. During his 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship campaign, he qualified third in the July race and led 29 laps to score the victory, becoming the youngest driver with an Xfinity Series win at Daytona at 19 years, seven months and one day.

SUPER ON SUPERSPEEDWAYS: When it comes to tracks that involve drafting, Byron is normally running upfront. He has three points-paying wins on these types of tracks – his first Cup Series win at Daytona in August of 2020 and at the reconfigured Atlanta Motor Speedway in March of 2022 and in July of 2023. Since the start of the 2022 season, he has led 226 laps at drafting tracks and also has four consecutive top-10 finishes on that style of track – the longest active streak in the series.

RUDY RETURNS: Crew chief Rudy Fugle enters his fourth season with Byron at the Cup level and will climb on top of the No. 24 pit box for his fourth DAYTONA 500 and his seventh Cup Series start at the 2.5-mile oval this Sunday. In 2021, the duo started both races at the Florida-based track from the front row. Despite running up front in every Daytona event they’ve raced at together in the Cup Series, misfortune has struck the No. 24 as they have been collected in on-track incidents before the checkered flag on five occasions. Aside from those six Cup starts, the Livonia, New York, native has nine other starts at Daytona, with seven coming in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. Fugle has one runner-up result, one top-five finish and two top-10s across those seven races. One of those Truck Series starts was with Byron, where the duo qualified and finished 13th.

AT IT AGAIN WITH AXALTA: Once again, Axalta will be back onboard Byron’s No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. This is Axalta’s 32nd year of partnership with Hendrick Motorsports and has been a primary partner for three of Byron’s 10 wins at the Cup Series level. Earlier this year, Axalta unveiled their new 2024 paint scheme that will be debuted at Daytona. For a closer look, click here.

BEACH BUMS: Kicking off Speedweeks in “The Sunshine State,” two crew members on the No. 24 team will be making their way back home for the first points-paying race of the 2024 season. Engineer Brandon McSwain grew up approximately 100 miles from the “World Center of Racing” in Auburndale, Florida. While just a few miles down the road from where McSwain grew up, engine tuner Ben Proctor calls Lakeland, Florida, home.

48 ALEX BOWMAN
Age: 30 (April 25, 1993)
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Resides: Concord, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Blake Harris
Standings: 20th (2023)

No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media in the drivers’ meeting room at the Daytona International Speedway media center on Wednesday, Feb. 14, from 2:50-3:20 p.m. local time.

FRONT OF THE FIELD: Last year at Daytona International Speedway, Alex Bowman and the No. 48 Ally Racing team won the pole position for the DAYTONA 500. Bowman reigned from the front of the field for the start of the 2023 edition of “The Great American Race” with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson by his side. In an overtime finish, Bowman took the checkered flag fifth, becoming the first driver in 22 years to score a top-five finish from the pole.

RECORD HOLDER: The Tucson, Arizona, native is the only driver to start on the front row in six straight DAYTONA 500s (2018-2023) and is the only driver to start on the front row six times in the history of the crown jewel race. This sets him ahead of the five-way tie of drivers with five front-row starts each, a list that includes Jeff Gordon. Bowman has won the pole three times (2018, 2021 and 2023) and scored the outside starting position three times (2019, 2020 and 2022).

DETERMINED IN DAYTONA: This year, Bowman will compete for his fourth pole position and seventh front-row start in the DAYTONA 500. His success at this 2.5-mile superspeedway has helped contribute to Hendrick Motorsports’ claim of eight of the last nine pole positions for the season-opening points race and 11 straight poles by manufacturer Chevrolet.

FIRST 500: Collin Hoeffner, the No. 48 team’s new tire specialist, will approach Daytona this weekend to compete in his first DAYTONA 500 and points-paying race with the Ally Racing team. Hoeffner worked his first Cup Series race in April of 2023 at Richmond Raceway and joined the No. 48 team just ahead of 2024.

OUR ALLY: The No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 returns to the track looking pretty in purple. In 2024, the online banking company is affiliated with Hendrick Motorsports for a sixth season, driver Bowman for a fourth season and serves as the Official Consumer Bank of NASCAR for a second year.

SEE IT WITH YOUR OWN EYES: Want a closer look at the new 2024 Ally Racing “digital camo” paint scheme? Visit the Ally Fan Zone Stage at Daytona to lay eyes on this year’s primary scheme, doubling as F1 graphic designer, Sean Bull’s, first NASCAR masterpiece. Not at the track this weekend? Check out the updated “digital camo” primary paint scheme here.

LIVE FROM THE DRIVER’S SEAT: This Sunday, Bowman fans can ride along and #Rally48 from the driver’s seat by tuning into NASCAR’s in-car camera on the No. 48 Chevy. Visit nascar.com/drive to experience the driver’s perspective during this prestigious race.

N.G.W.S.D: National Girls and Women in Sports Day (N.G.W.S.D) was on Feb. 7, 2024. The annual day is designed to honor the achievements of girls and women in sports and break gender stereotypes built around the sports industry. The No. 48’s primary partner, Ally Financial, has several influential women in leadership who help make the racing program a success including Chief Marketing and Public Relations Officer Andrea Brimmer, Executive Director of Marketing Bridget Sponsky and Ally Racing’s Brand & Partnerships Manager Jessica Stroupe. At the 2022 espnW Women + Sports Summit, Ally announced a pledge to achieve equal spending in paid advertising across women’s and men’s sports programming over the next five years. Additionally, Ally launched Watch the Game, Change the Game – a new national advocacy initiative spanning broadcast, digital and social media channels aimed at rallying viewership of women’s competitions. In May of 2023, Ally reached the 1-year milestone of their 50/50 pledge and was ahead of schedule nearing a 60/40 split in its sports paid media spending across men’s and women’s sports.

Hendrick Motorsports

2023
All-Time
DAYTONA 500
Races

2023	All-Time	DAYTONA 500
Races	36	1,345	40
Wins	10*	301*	8
Poles	7	246*	16*
Top 5	42*	1,232*	30*
Top 10	67*	2,112*	51*
Laps Led	2,440	79,757*	1,320
Stage Wins	19*	98	1

*Most **Most (tie)

FABULOUS 40: In 2024, Hendrick Motorsports is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Among the categories that the Rick Hendrick-owned organization holds the NASCAR Cup Series record for are all-time wins (301), poles (246), laps led (79,757) and championships (14). The organization has won at least one race in each of the last 38 seasons. In addition, the team has at least three victories in each of the past 30 seasons, the longest streak by a team in the Cup Series.

MEET THE TEAM: Hendrick Motorsports is hosting a media event on Thursday, Feb. 15, at 3 p.m. ET, at the Chevrolet Experience Center in the Daytona International Speedway infield. The team will make several special announcements related to its 40th anniversary in NASCAR. Team owner Rick Hendrick, vice chairman Jeff Gordon, drivers Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, William Byron and Alex Bowman, plus crew chiefs Cliff Daniels, Alan Gustafson, Rudy Fugle and Blake Harris will be on hand.

LAST YEAR LOOK BACK: Last season, Hendrick Motorsports notched a series-best 10 wins and placed two drivers – Byron and Larson – in the Championship 4. Larson won four races as well as the non-points All-Star Race and finished second in the final standings. Byron won a best-in-series six times and placed third in the final standings. Elliott and Bowman each missed time with injuries and Elliott led the No. 9 team to the Round of 8 in the owner’s playoffs. The season saw the organization earn its 300th Cup Series victory (Byron at Texas Motor Speedway) and the engine department earn its 500th national series win (Larson at Darlington Raceway). The four-car team led the Cup Series in wins (10), top-five finishes (42), top-10s (67) and stage wins (19).

SETTING THE FIELD: The starting lineup for the DAYTONA 500 is set in a very different manner than any other race. Wednesday’s single-car, two-round qualifying will only set the front row for the DAYTONA 500. The remaining order of qualifying will determine the field for the two 60-lap Duel at Daytona races on Thursday night. The rest of the starting ineup for the 40-car field in the DAYTONA 500 will be set by the results of twin 150s. The duel qualifiers also represent the first chance for drivers to earn points in 2024 with the top-10 finishers in each race earning as many as 10 points (for the win) all the way down to one point (for 10th).

POLE POWER: With 16 poles for the DAYTONA 500, Hendrick Motorsports leads all Cup Series organizations by a wide margin (the next closest team has six). Those 16 poles account for 40% of the poles for DAYTONA 500s that Hendrick Motorsports has competed in. Nine drivers have combined for the 16 poles: Bowman (three), Ken Schrader (three), Elliott (two), Gordon (two), Jimmie Johnson (two), Byron (one), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (one), Larson (one) and Mark Martin (one). The organization has won eight of the last nine poles for “The Great American Race” with all four active drivers securing at least one pole position in that stretch. On top of that, Hendrick Motorsports engines have won nine straight DAYTONA 500 poles.

OPPOSITE ENDS: Elliott’s 2016 pole position still stands as the youngest pole winner in the event’s history at 20 years, two months and 17 days. In fact, Hendrick Motorsports has five of the six youngest pole winners in DAYTONA 500 history. At the other end of the spectrum, Martin’s 2010 pole at 51 years old has held as the oldest pole winner in the crown jewel race’s storied past.

FRONT ROW FOCUS: There have been nine instances of a front row sweep for the Rick Hendrick-owned team at the DAYTONA 500. Six of those have occurred in the last nine years (2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023) including four of the last five. Last year, Bowman (first) and Larson (second) held the top two starting spots. In addition, the organization has had at least one car start on the front row in each of the last nine DAYTONA 500s.

DUEL DOMINATION: Hendrick Motorsports’ 16 wins in the Duel at Daytona races are tied for most among all teams in the Cup Series. Gordon leads the way with five victories followed by Earnhardt Jr.’s three. Elliott and Johnson each have two wins. Byron, Schrader, Benny Parsons and Darrell Waltrip each have tallied one win. The 2015 wins by Earnhardt Jr. and Johnson mark the organization’s lone sweep of the qualifying races.

GREAT AMERICAN VICTORIES: The eight wins for the Concord, North Carolina, based team in the prestigious season-opening event are the second-most by all teams and the most among active teams. Gordon’s three wins (1997, 1999 and 2005) are the most for the organization. Johnson has two wins (2006 and 2013), while Geoff Bodine (1986), Earnhardt Jr. (2014) and Waltrip (1989) each picked up one apiece for the squad. The five different drivers to win for one team in the DAYTONA 500 are tied for the most.

HIGH FIVE: With a win in Sunday’s DAYTONA 500, Hendrick Motorsports would become the first organization to win the race in five different decades. Currently, it is one of two organizations – Petty Enterprises is the other – to win the DAYTONA 500 in four different decades.

OVAL-WHELMING SUCCESS: The Daytona oval has been the site of much success for the 14-time championship-winning Cup Series organization. Their 42 wins at the 2.5-mile superspeedway have come in the following ways: the Duel at Daytona (16), DAYTONA 500 (eight), Clash (seven), Coke Zero 400 (seven) and NASCAR Xfinity Series races (four). In addition, Elliott won at the Daytona Road Course in 2020.

QUOTABLE /

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on racing on superspeedways: “We’ve run well but we just don’t have the results to back it up – whether it was running out of fuel or getting involved in an accident late in the race battling for the win. I watched a lot of video to see what others are doing to make it to the end and hopefully I can do that and battle for the win on Sunday.”

Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on watching past speedway races: “We do a lot of tape watching together. We have grown a lot as a team in our approach to speedway racing, how to execute the race, how to execute the pit stop, how to get the car upfront and maintain track position if we have it – or figure out a way to get it if we don’t. I want to say the last handful of speedway races we have been upfront, in the top 10 or even in contention to win late in the race. That also seems to be the eye of the storm of the wreck and it hasn’t worked out for us.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on what it would mean to win the DAYTONA 500: “It would be awesome to check that box. We’ve had a couple of opportunities, but my biggest reason for really wanting to win the (DAYTONA) 500 is because Alan (Gustafson, crew chief) has never won it. He’s from down there (Ormond Beach) and I know it’s a big deal to him. I just think it would be a really cool thing for him. Being a hometown guy like that, he’s come so close, so many times. When you work with a guy like that who has had a lot of success, it is kind of rare to be able to help him achieve something he has not already achieved. That would be a big one.”

Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on being one-half of the longest-tenured driver and crew chief pairing in the garage: “I think it’s a great thing. You want to be able to build lasting relationships and be able to endure success and failures together. I think that’s a good depiction of some things we believe in around here – working together and continuing to grow a relationship and still having a relationship that’s super productive, positive and exciting. This is our ninth year. So, yeah, I’m excited about that. I love our relationship. What’s most exciting to me is the opportunity and the blank canvas we have this year to continue to build something that’s good.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on his excitement to start the season: “Technically the season started with the Clash (at the Coliseum) but I’m ready to get to Daytona (International Speedway) and really get the season going. Usually, we start the season with a couple of bad races and then pick up the pace a few races in. This time the goal is to hopefully get off to a better start. We want to be around at the end of the DAYTONA 500, going for a win and then back that up with a solid run at Atlanta (Motor Speedway). I know the team has been putting in the work to have us ready to get going, I’m just ready to go execute.”

Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on how he feels about Daytona Speedweeks: “I love to prepare for how to execute the full week there. Most times we worry about executing a weekend. This is what we live for and look forward to. We have to prepare the car just to qualify and then you swap the car over for the duel race. After that, we take the information from the race to apply to practice and then make final adjustments before the biggest race of the year on Sunday. Whoever wins the race on Sunday, their life is going to change. They will be a DAYTONA 500 champion and that’s what we want to be with our Axalta Chevy. I’m more excited to get to Daytona than I have been in a long time.”

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on building off his career-best finish in last year’s DAYTONA 500: “I feel like I learned a lot last year at (super) speedways in general. The DAYTONA 500 is tough. It’s a long day. There are a lot of ways to crash and I feel like I’ve shown a lot of those ways to crash. Last year, obviously we finished well (fifth) and had a good day with a good result. We’re hoping to improve on that just a little bit and continue to learn, execute and have a good day. I want to put myself in the right position and know what moves I need to make – and not make – so that our No. 48 Ally team can be in contention there for a win at the end. I’m looking forward to getting back to it at Daytona (International Speedway).”

Blake Harris, crew chief of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the team’s preparation for the DAYTONA 500: “I think we prepare for qualifying the same way we did last year – by going all in as a company. It’s a big deal to Alex (Bowman), Ally and Mr. (Rick) Hendrick to put that Chevy on the front row, so we are going to put all effort forward into that. At the same time, above that, is being able to go and contend for the win. We had a good shot there last year at the end of the race. We put ourselves in contention to win at a couple of superspeedway races in 2023. Statistically, superspeedways were strong for Alex last year. We’re certainly putting an emphasis on the importance of winning the DAYTONA 500 but approaching it as a byproduct of our processes and preparation.”

DAYTONA 500

Thursday, Feb. 15 — NASCAR Cup Series Duel Races, 7 p.m. (FS1)
Friday, Feb. 16 — NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, 7:30 p.m. ET (FS1)
Saturday, Feb. 17 — NASCAR Xfinity Series, 5 p.m. ET (FS1)
Sunday, Feb. 18 — NASCAR Cup Series, 2:30 p.m. ET (FOX)

NASCAR’s biggest race of the year, the Daytona 500, kicks off the 2024 Cup Series season on Sunday at Daytona International Speedway with Ford Performance looking for its third win in the last four seasons. The Blue Oval has won “The Great American Race” a total of 17 times with current drivers Joey Logano, Michael McDowell and Austin Cindric having one victory each.

FORD GOING FOR THIRD DAYTONA 500 WIN IN FOUR YEARS

As noted above, Ford has won the Daytona 500 17 times by 14 different drivers with Michael McDowell (2021) and Austin Cindric (2022) being the most recent. Ford has won “The Great American Race” four times in the last nine years with Joey Logano (2015) and Kurt Busch (2017) joining the aforementioned duo. That being said, only three Ford drivers have won the Daytona 500 more than once. Bill Elliott was the first to do it (1985 and 1987) with Dale Jarrett (1996 and 2000) and Matt Kenseth (2009 and 2012) following.

DAYTONA 500 DEBUT

This year’s Daytona 500 will be the first for Josh Berry, who joined Ford Performance and Stewart-Haas Racing as driver of the No. 4 Ford Mustang Dark Horse following the retirement of Kevin Harvick. Berry goes into Sunday’s 500 with 12 career NASCAR Cup Series starts, including one at Daytona International Speedway. In that start, which came in last August’s Coke Zero Sugar 400, he started 29th and finished 22nd behind the wheel of the No. 42 for LEGACY MOTOR CLUB. Berry’s best career Cup finish is second, which came at Richmond Raceway last year.

RAGAN’S RETURN

David Ragan will be looking to make his return to the NASCAR Cup Series by attempting to qualify a third Roush Fenway Keselowski Mustang Dark Horse for the Daytona 500.

This will mark the first attempt to make an event in what the organization calls its Stage 60 project. Ragan, who competed in the Cup Series with RFK from 2006-11, will drive the No. 60 and serve as a teammate to Brad Keselowski and Chris Buescher.

Ragan has competed in the Daytona 500 16 times during his career and has four top-10 finishes, including a career-best 4th in 2020 driving for Rick Ware Racing.

CINDRIC KICKS OFF ROOKIE SEASON IN STYLE

Austin Cindric started off his first full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series with Team Penske with a bang by winning the 2022 Daytona 500 in only his second attempt. Cindric got a push and then had to fend off his teammate, Ryan Blaney, coming to the checkered flag to become the first rookie to win the Great American Race. Blaney made contact with Cindric and hit the outside wall, sealing the No. 2 driver’s fate to claim his first career Cup Series victory. It was a stellar day for Ford overall, claiming four of the top-five and seven of the top-10 finishing positions. Chase Briscoe came home 3rd, Blaney 4th and Aric Almirola 5th to complete the top five.

MCDOWELL MAKES DAYTONA 500 FIRST CUP WIN

Michael McDowell scored his first victory in a Monday morning finish to the 63rd running of the Daytona 500, missing a final-lap crash to kick off the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season with a triumph in stock-car racing’s most prestigious race. McDowell only led the last of the 200 laps, avoiding a collision between Team Penske teammates Joey Logano and Brad Keselowsk, who were battling for the lead going into turn three. It marked the first win of the Front Row Motorsports driver’s Cup Series career, after a span of 357 winless starts.

LOGANO GIVES FORD FIRST SWEEP OF DAYTONA SPEEDWEEKS

Joey Logano survived an intense final 10 laps, including a green-white-checkered finish, to give Ford a sweep of Daytona Speedweeks by winning the 57th running of the Daytona 500 in 2015. The win came on the heels of Tyler Reddick winning the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and Ryan Reed taking the checkered flag for the first time in the NASCAR XFINITY Series event. It also capped an undefeated month of racing at Daytona for Ford, which also won the season-opening Rolex 24 Hours.

KURT BUSCH WINS DAYTONA 500 IN SHR FORD DEBUT

Ford won the Daytona 500 for the 15th time after Kurt Busch took the checkered flag for Stewart-Haas Racing in its debut event with the manufacturer in 2017. That Cinderella story marked Ford’s fourth Daytona 500 win in a seven-year period, a streak that started with another Disney-type story when Trevor Bayne became the youngest Daytona 500 winner in 2011. The victory was even more memorable because it came one day after his 20th birthday and in only his second career NASCAR Cup Series start for the Wood Brothers.

KENSETH WINS EXPLOSIVE DAYTONA 500

When Ford won the Daytona 500 on Feb. 27, 2012 with Matt Kenseth, it marked his second victory in four years. But while Kenseth will be recognized for becoming the ninth multiple winner of the race, the weekend will forever be remembered for a series of unforeseen events. For the first time in its 54-year history, the race had to be postponed until Monday due to rain. As lingering showers persisted the next day, NASCAR officials decided to make it a primetime event for the first time. The race was building to a climax when caution came out on lap 157. During the ensuing caution, something broke on Juan Pablo Montoya’s car and sent it careening into a jet dryer that was working on the track. An explosion ensued and resulted in a red flag that lasted more than two hours as officials repaired the track. There were no major injuries, but the incident resulted in one of the more memorable photos ever taken as driver Brad Keselowski used his cell phone to post a shot from his vantage point on the backstretch. Kenseth eventually held off Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Roush Fenway teammate Greg Biffle on a green-white-checker finish to win.

TINY LUND DRIVES FORD AND WOOD BROTHERS TO FIRST 500 WIN

Ford won the Daytona 500 for the first time on Feb. 24, 1963 when Tiny Lund took the Wood Brothers to Victory Lane and completed a script that would have made Hollywood envious. Lund didn’t have a ride for the 500, but was at the track watching Marvin Panch test a Maserati when the car went out of control, flipped upside-down and started on fire. Lund, along with four others, rushed to the scene and eventually pulled Panch to safety. Panch, who was the primary driver for the Wood Brothers, was unable to race in the 500 due to his injuries, so the team tabbed Lund as a substitute. Lund defied the odds by winning the race on one set of tires to give For and the Wood Brothers their first win in “The Great American Race.”

CUSTER READY TO BEGIN TITLE DEFENSE

Cole Custer, fresh off winning last year’s NASCAR Xfinity Series championship, is back behind the wheel of the No. 00 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing, where he’s teaming up once again with Riley Herbst. Custer, who had three wins and six poles in 2023, finished ninth in last year’s series opener while Herbst was sixth in the Xfinity race and 10th in the Daytona 500, which represented his Cup Series debut.

DEEGAN MAKING FULL-TIME NASCAR XFINITY SERIES DEBUT

Hailie Deegan will be running a full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule for the first time as she pilots the No. 25 AM Racing Ford Mustang. Deegan, who has been competing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series the past three seasons, has one career NXS start on her resume with that coming in 2022 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway when she finished 13th.

DEFENDING CHAMPION RHODES BACK AT THORSPORT

Ben Rhodes, who claimed his second NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship last season, will look to join a select list of drivers who have won three or more as he begins his ninth year driving for ThorSport Racing. Rhodes has seven career victories during that time, including the 2021 season-opening event at Daytona. He’s trying to join ThorSport teammate Matt Crafton (3), Jack Sprague (3) and NASCAR Hall of Famer Ron Hornaday Jr. (4) as drivers who have won at least three series titles.

FORD’S DAYTONA 500 WINNERS

1963 – Tiny Lund (Wood Brothers)

1965 – Fred Lorenzen (Holman-Moody)

1967 – Mario Andretti (Holman-Moody)

1969 – LeeRoy Yarbrough (Junior Johnson)

1978 – Bobby Allison (Bud Moore)

1985 – Bill Elliott (Harry Melling)

1987 – Bill Elliott (Harry Melling)

1992 – Davey Allison (Robert Yates)

1996 – Dale Jarrett (Robert Yates)

2000 – Dale Jarrett (Robert Yates)

2009 – Matt Kenseth (Jack Roush)

2011 – Trevor Bayne (Wood Brothers)

2012 – Matt Kenseth (Jack Roush)

2015 – Joey Logano (Roger Penske)

2017 – Kurt Busch (Stewart-Haas)

2021 – Michael McDowell (Bob Jenkins)

2022 – Austin Cindric (Roger Penske)

FORD’S NASCAR XFINITY SERIES

DAYTONA WINNERS

1995 – Chad Little (1)

2004 – Mike Wallace (2)

2015 – Ryan Reed (1)

2016 – Aric Almirola (2)

2017 – Ryan Reed (1)

2021 – Austin Cindric (1)

FORD’S NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES DAYTONA WINNERS

2000 – Mike Wallace

2003 – Rick Crawford

2004 – Carl Edwards

2006 – Mark Martin

2015 – Tyler Reddick

2020 – Grant Enfinger

2022 – Zane Smith

2023 – Zane Smith

CITGARD to Help Power Team for 2024 Season

 MOORESVILLE, N.C. (February 12, 2024) – Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is proud to announce a multi-race and all-season associate sponsorship with the CITGARD® brand for select NASCAR Cup Series events with Todd Gilliland and the No. 38 team.

CITGARD®, a CITGO Petroleum Corporation brand, is a line of heavy duty, next generation engine oils formulated with proprietary additive technology that protects engines from running at higher temperatures and higher fuel injection pressures, while meeting tighter wear limits and lower emission requirements.

The CITGARD® brand will serve as the primary sponsor on the No. 38 Ford Mustang Dark Horse in two NASCAR Cup Series events this season. Gilliland will carry the CITGARD® colors at Bristol Motor Speedway (Tenn.) in March and at the Atlanta Motor Speedway (Ga.) playoffs in September.

CITGARD® returns to FRM after last partnering with the team during the 2022 NASCAR season for Gilliland’s rookie year in the Cup Series. The heavy-duty engine oil brand has partnered with FRM in the past, previously teaming up with John Hunter Nemechek, Anthony Alfredo, and David Ragan.

“Reuniting with Front Row Motorsports, Todd Gilliland and the No. 38 team is a great opportunity to showcase the durability of our CITGARD® heavy duty engine oil,” said Mike Curtis, CITGO General Manager, Lubricants. “Todd and his team continue making waves in the NASCAR Cup Series and CITGARD® is the perfect product to support another successful season.”

“It’s awesome to have CITGARD® return to Front Row Motorsports this season,” said Gilliland. “We need a reliable, heavy duty engine lubricant when traveling thousands of miles from track to track and CITGARD is just that —reliable. I want to thank everyone at CITGARD® for returning to our race program.”

Fritz Sports & Event Enterprises (FSE) continues to oversee the partnership.

“We are thrilled to see the iconic CITGARD® brand return to the Front Row Motorsports family again,” said FSE CEO Doug Fritz. “This partnership has been beneficial for everyone involved and we look forward to continuing that positive momentum this season with Todd.”

For more information about CITGARD®, visit www.citgolubes.com.

ABOUT CITGARD

CITGARD® Synthetic Blend Engine Oils deliver the performance needed for newer engine designs while improving performance in older engines. It is engineered with proprietary additive technology that protects engines running at higher operating temperatures and higher fuel injection pressures, while meeting tighter wear limits and lower emission requirements. CITGARD 700 is a new generation of engine oils that support the Phase II fuel efficiency standards which are driving the need for even more fuel efficient heavy duty engine oils combined with excellent wear protection and engine durability.

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The team is the 2021 Daytona 500 and 2022 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 34 and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 38 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series team from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

ABOUT FRITZ SPORTS & EVENT ENTERPRISES

Fritz Sports & Event Enterprises is a sports marketing and event management business specializing in sports and event sponsorship marketing and activation, brand development, as well as event management.

CHASE BRISCOE
Daytona Speedweek
Pole Qualifying | Duels | Daytona 500
No. 14 Mahindra Tractors Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

Event Overview

Wednesday, Feb. 14:
● Daytona 500 qualifying (single-lap qualifying to determine pole for the Daytona 500)

●  Time/TV/Radio: 8 p.m. ET on FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Thursday, Feb. 15:
● Bluegreen Vacations Duel (twin 150-mile qualifying races that set the field for the Daytona 500)

●  Time/TV/Radio: 7 p.m. ET on FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio 

Sunday, Feb. 18:
● 66th annual Daytona 500 (first of 36 points-paying NASCAR Cup Series races in 2024)

●  Time/TV/Radio: 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● The 66th Daytona 500 Feb. 18 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway will mark Chase Briscoe’s fourth appearance in The Great American Race. The driver of the No. 14 Mahindra Tractors Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing earned his best Daytona 500 result in his second Daytona 500 start – third in 2022. It is his only top-10 finish at Daytona in six career NASCAR Cup Series starts at the 2.5-mile oval. However, in last year’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona, Briscoe won the pole led twice for a race-high 67 laps before getting ensnared in a late-race accident that left him an undeserved 30th.

● Entering his fourth season in 2024, Briscoe is Stewart-Haas Racing’s most tenured NASCAR Cup Series driver. With the departures of former Stewart-Haas drivers Kevin Harvick and Aric Almirola, who together combined for 1,286 Cup Series starts and 39 seasons (Harvick: 23 seasons and 826 career starts; Almirola: 16 seasons and 460 career starts), Briscoe is now paired with rookie driver Josh Berry, sophomore driver Noah Gragson and the returning Ryan Preece, who begins his second season with Stewart-Haas in 2024.

● Briscoe and his NASCAR Cup Series counterparts had a dress rehearsal for the 2024 season by competing in the non-points Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum Feb. 3 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Briscoe finished seventh in the 23-car field, picking up an impressive 15 positions in the 151-lap race after starting 22nd.

● Briscoe has made seven starts on the Daytona oval outside of the NASCAR Cup Series. He has five NASCAR Xfinity Series starts and one start apiece in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and ARCA Menards Series. In the Xfinity Series at Daytona, he finished fifth and third in the 2020 season-opener and August races, respectively, while qualifying on the pole in the latter event and leading a combined 27 laps between the two races. His Truck Series outing in the 2017 season opener resulted in a third-place finish, while his ARCA start in the 2016 season opener yielded a fourth-place finish.

● On-track action at Daytona begins with single-lap qualifying Wednesday night when the front row for the Daytona 500 will be set. The Bluegreen Vacations Duel – twin 150-mile qualifying races that set the 40-car field for Sunday’s race – follows on Thursday. Drivers in odd-numbered qualifying positions compete in the first Duel and those in even-numbered qualifying positions battle in the second Duel to fill out the remainder of the starting grid for the Daytona 500.

● Mahindra Ag North America returns for its third year as the anchor sponsor for Briscoe and the No. 14 team after extending its partnership with Stewart-Haas during the offseason. The multiyear agreement with the NASCAR team co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart and industrialist Gene Haas will continue to feature Mahindra Tractors, a brand of Mahindra Ag North America, on Briscoe’s No. 14 Ford Mustang for the majority of the NASCAR Cup Series schedule. The red-and-black No. 14 Mahindra Tractors Ford Mustang made its debut in the 2022 Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum and then won in just its fifth race as a primary sponsor when Briscoe drove to victory on March 13, 2022 at Phoenix Raceway. The win secured Mahindra Tractors’ place in the NASCAR Playoffs and earned Briscoe the honor of being the 200th Cup Series winner in NASCAR history. Houston-based Mahindra Ag North America is part of Mahindra Group’s Automotive and Farm Sector, the No. 1 selling farm tractor company in the world, based on volumes across all company brands. Mahindra offers a range of tractor models from 20-75 horsepower, implements, and the ROXOR heavy-duty UTV. Mahindra farm equipment is engineered to be easy to operate by first-time tractor or side-by-side owners and heavy duty to tackle the tough jobs of rural living, farming and ranching. Steel-framed Mahindra Tractors and side-by-sides are ideal for customers who demand performance, reliability and comfort. Mahindra dealers are independent, family-owned businesses located throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Chase Briscoe, Driver of the No. 14 Mahindra Tractors Ford Mustang

What is your mindset as you begin your fourth season with Stewart-Haas Racing?

“I would say my mindset’s definitely different. I think all four seasons have kind of had a different feel to them, but this one I feel like is the one where I have the most pressure, and honestly it’s the most confident and the most excited I’ve been for a season. The mindset, honestly, is just excitement to finally get going. I feel like we’re in probably the best place we’ve been in as a team, and even the organization just has a lot of change going on, which is exciting. Just looking forward to see where it all goes, and obviously we can’t see where it goes until we start.”

As a kid growing up in Mitchell, Indiana, what did the Daytona 500 mean to you, and was competing in the Daytona 500 something you always aspired to do?

“I think the Daytona 500, for anybody in racing, it’s one of those races you watch the whole week leading into it. I remember always coming home from school and trying to catch the second Duel. It’s just a huge event, right? I would watch it every single year. Truthfully, growing up, I never in a million years thought I would ever get to run that race. It’s funny, on Facebook they have the memories and what not, and literally mine popped up and it was 13 years ago and I posted, ‘If you could win any race in the world, what would it be?’ And I said, for me, the Daytona 500 or Indy 500. But more realistically, I thought I would try to win this one sprint car race just because I never in a million years thought I would get to run it. I think everybody in racing dreams of getting to run the Daytona 500 and it’s definitely special every time you get to go there and do it.”

You’ve competed in three Daytona 500s (2021, 2022 and 2023). What is it like to drive in the Great American Race?

“It’s always, for me, one of those ‘pinch me’ moments the first lap or two. The prerace is crazy just knowing how many people are there, first off, but then even when you’re in the car and going around there, just knowing there are millions and millions of people watching the race on TV. I’ve made it a point every year before we take the green flag to look up at the grandstands to take it all in, just knowing you get to run that race. It’s super cool. There aren’t many races in the world that have that kind of feel and effect to it. Definitely a cool one, and I’m excited to run another one, truthfully.”

How important is the driver-spotter relationship at Daytona, and what kind of information do you need from your spotter when you’re in a 200 mph freight train?

“The spotter is the most crucial part when we go to a place like Daytona or Talladega, or even Atlanta now. For us, we really can’t see a whole lot from inside the racecar, so the spotter is the one guy who is trying to paint the picture of what’s going on and really is making the decision a lot of the time for us. You still have a decision to make, but he’s normally telling you kind of what’s the best-case scenario or what he would do just because he can see so much better. So there’s a ton of trust that comes along with that. Any time they’re clearing you with binoculars from half a mile away, there’s a lot of trust in that. The spotter is super crucial every time we go there and plays a massive role in the race. I don’t think you can go there and win that race if you don’t have a good spotter on the roof.”

Drivers are often asked about their strategy in a superspeedway race. But what strategy is there for the entire week of Daytona, where you want to show speed, but also keep a clean car through qualifying, the Duel and then, finally, the Daytona 500?

“The 500 is definitely a unique week because you’re obviously trying to keep your car for Sunday, but you also have to race that car before we get to Sunday. How your week goes, it’s hard, now, with how limited practice is. We won’t even get to run the car until we go out to qualify, so you don’t know if you even have a shot at the pole until we go out there. In the past, when we had practice before, you kind of knew what to expect before you went out to qualify, where now we don’t know. It’s kind of hard because you try to go all out for the front row, but then if you don’t get the front row, the Duels are an absolute handful and I think we had that happen last year. I qualified third or fourth and missed the front row, but then I started like 30th because of how we did in the Duels. It’s a hard balancing act, just trying to figure out what’s the best thing to do. Obviously, I haven’t figured it out yet, but it’s one of those things where you definitely have to try to make your car last, not only throughout the whole week but in the 500. It’s one of those races where you have to be running at the end, and if you’re just running at the end, you at least have a shot. Thirty other times throughout the year, just because you’re running at the end doesn’t mean you have a shot.”

You’ve got some new teammates this year in Josh Berry and Noah Gragson. After working the draft in years past at Daytona with Kevin Harvick and Aric Almirola, is there going to be a bit of a learning curve when it comes to drafting with Josh and Noah?

“I think there’s definitely going to be a learning curve. Luckily, we’re going to get a lot of practice to start the year between the Duels, the 500 and then also Atlanta, so we’re going to get a lot of experience here right at the get-go. It’s definitely going to be different. In the past, I kind of knew what Kevin does and how he pushes and what he does in certain situations, and the same with Aric. Me and Aric probably worked together more than anybody over the last two years on superspeedway stuff. It’s going to be odd not having those guys, but Noah is obviously a really good superspeedway racer, he’s won some races in the Xfinity Series, and Josh has obviously learned from the best guy, too. I think we’re all going to be fairly plug-and-play, but until we go out there and do it, it’s hard to say. Like I said, luckily we get a lot of practice at it and hopefully we can perfect it.”

Ford always goes into superspeedway races with a game plan, and they get all the drivers together beforehand to go over that game plan. Are you able to provide a glimpse as to what that game plan is and what you as an individual do to execute that game plan?

“Typically, the game plan’s always the same and that’s trying to get a Ford to victory lane, just trying to use our numbers to our advantage. We have a ton of Fords in the Cup Series, and truthfully a lot of really good Fords, so the more we can work together at a place like that, the better it is for all of us. It gets tricky sometimes at the end of those races, everybody’s just trying to do what’s best for them. I would say the goal of every one of those meetings is just to kind of drill into our heads to try to help a Ford win the race, no matter which Ford that is. It doesn’t always come out that way, but that’s definitely the goal and the plan in those meetings.”

The Daytona 500 seems to be feast or famine for you – a best finish of third (2022) with two other finishes of 19th and 35th. Is getting a good result at Daytona akin to balancing on a razor blade, to where if you’re too aggressive or too conservative, you don’t get the result you want?

“I don’t know if there’s any secret formula there. I feel like the first year I literally just kind of rode around and finished 19th, and the second year I was really, really aggressive and finished third. And then the other year I was a little bit of both, I was patient at the beginning and aggressive at the end and finished 35th. So I don’t know what that right formula is. It’s so circumstantial. There are so many different variables that go into it. If you’re just in the mix there, you’re going to have a good day, hopefully, at the end, so you just want to be there. It’s kind of been one way or the other for us. We’ve been up front, but we’ve also been in the very back, so hopefully we can end up in the front. It’d pretty special to have another good run there.”

Is the Daytona 500 a mentally exhausting race when you’re trying to figure out what to do?

“It’s hard. That race is one of those where there’s just a lot going on and a lot of different mentalities. Some guys want to be aggressive and lead the whole time, other guys want to just ride around in the back the whole time. The intensity of that race kind of goes up and down throughout. I feel like that race always starts pretty intense because everybody’s pretty amped up, but then we go through a long period of just cruising around, just trying to get to the end. And obviously at the end, it really ratchets up. It’s an odd race because you have some guys, too, that know it’s already a points-paying race and you’re trying to get stage points, and other guys are just trying to make it to the end. So there are so many different mindsets going into that race, but in the end we all want the same goal and that’s obviously where it gets really crazy. It’s a different race than any of the other 35 we have, for sure.”

Last year was just OK. You obviously wanted more. How ready are you to start this season and go into the Daytona 500 with the same amount of points as everyone else?

“It’s the one thing I’ve been the most excited about since June of last year. With our points penalty and everything else, we really weren’t racing for anything outside of a win. If we didn’t have the points penalty, a second- or third-place finish means a lot that day, but for us last year, a second-place finish didn’t mean a single thing. It’ll be nice just to have a clean slate again, finally, be racing for something every single week and where points matter. That’s something I’ve been pretty fired up about really the whole offseason and even the end of last year, just knowing we’ll be racing for something again. It’ll definitely be nice.”

No. 14 Mahindra Tractors Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Chase Briscoe

Hometown: Mitchell, Indiana

Crew Chief: Richard Boswell

Hometown: Friendship, Maryland

Car Chief: J.D. Frey

Hometown: Ferndale, California

Engineer: Mike Cook

Hometown: Annapolis, Maryland

Spotter: Joey Campbell

Hometown: Berlin, Connecticut

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Shayne Pipala

Hometown: Frankfort Square, Illinois

Rear Tire Changer: Dakota Ratcliff

Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee

Tire Carrier: Jon Bernal

Hometown: Holland, Michigan

Jack Man: Dylan Moser

Hometown: Monroe, North Carolina

Fuel Man: Corey Coppola

Hometown: Bluefield, West Virginia

Road Crew Members

Underneath Mechanic: Stephen Gonzalez

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Interior Mechanic: Trevor Adams

Hometown: Plymouth, Wisconsin

Tire Specialist: Keith Eads

Hometown: Arlington, Virginia

Shock Specialist: Brian Holshouser

Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina

Engine Tuner: Jon Phillips

Hometown: Jefferson City, Missouri

Transporter Co-Driver: Todd Cable

Hometown: Shelby, North Carolina

Transporter Co-Driver: Dale Lackey

Hometown: Taylorsville, North Carolina